Avenging Addiction: Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man

Avenging Addiction: Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man

I…am…Iron Man. This declaration is true for just one man on the planet: Robert Downey Jr. Fine, Ozzy & Black Sabbath might have something to say about that, but you get the point. He is, for many millions, a superhero: young filmgoers riding the Avengers twenty-two movie wave may be surprised to know that the Robert Downey Jr. backstory includes as many extreme ups and downs as Tony Stark. And like Iron Man, the actor’s life has been an odyssey that’s taken him “through the crucible forged into a stronger metal.”

Downey continued his high speed chase in the fast lane of substance use until a bad hamburger inspired a change of direction: In 2003, he pulled through a Burger King drive through, his car loaded with “tons of f—ing dope.” The actor reckoned he’d indulge his fast food fetish with a burger and soda pop, but something was amiss: “It was such a disgusting burger I ordered. I had that, and this big soda, I thought something really bad was going to happen.” Inspired by a sudden rush of concern for his well-being, Downey deposited his drugs into the ocean and resolved to wash away all substance use from that moment forward. Interestingly, this burger inspired a key scene from Iron Man…a cool connection to the actor’s real life epiphany.

As Tony Stark and Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. remains true to his heroic, yet fallible journey through life. Heroes aren’t heroic for their skills or their powers: it’s the way one overcomes obstacles and recovers to reveal their true character. We all have our part to play.

More importantly, Robert Downey Jr. has revealed a timeless truth about our roles in life, one wrought in iron: “I’ve gone from being convinced that I am the sole integer in the approbation of a phenomenon to realizing that…O.K., life is doing something here that included me but did not require me. But, yes, that role means a lot.” And our role in life means a lot, no matter what stage of recovery, rebirth or renewal we have recently entered. Relapse or setbacks are sometimes inevitable (another one for you, Endgame fanatics), but remember the words of Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man: “It’s not about how much we lost, it’s about how much we have left.” Amen.